Ruskin Studies Official's Role in Lindsay Benefit Ticket Salt

Commissioner of Investiga tion Robert K. Ruskin announced yesterday that he had begun an investigation to determine whether a crime had been committed when Sani tation Department policemen were asked by a deputy corn missioner to sell tickets to a fund‐raising dinner for Mayor Lindsay.

The sanitation policemen in volved are being summoned for questioning under oath, Mr. Ruskin said.

He charged that a key issue was whether Deputy Sanitation Commissioner Frank J. DuVal, who acknowledged asking the men to sell tickets, also threat ened them with the loss of their jobs if they refused to sell them.

Mr. DuVal has denied put ting any pressure on the men. But some of the sanitation po licemen have complained of coercion, and the head of their union, John J. DeLury, re marked Thursday: “He doesn't have to use any pressure. His exalted position in this depart ment is pressure itself.”

Asked whether he could de fine “pressure” as something other than an explicitly worded threat, Commissioner Ruskin replied: “That's one of the problems in these areas; the orders don't have to be said to convey the message.”

“I'm not prejudging this case,” he added, “but where a man's in a certain position and distributes a certain num ber of tickets, there may be a message that goes to the men even where the words are not spoken.”

Mr. DuVal explained that during a meeting with sanita tion police officers in his office Nov. 9, “I asked officers if they would talk to the men to see if they could buy a couple of tickets each, if they wanted to buy them or sell them.” Some of the men, angered, complained to newspapers and officials of the Uniformed Sani tationmen's Association.

The tickets, which sell for $50, $125 or $250, are to raise money for the Queens branch of the John V. Lindsay As sociation. The dinner and dance is scheduled for Feb. 11 in the Terrace on, the Park in Flushing.

Called a Bribe Request

Some of the sanitation police have said they regarded, the re quest that they sell tickets request that they solicit bribes, since their duties involve is suing summonses to merchants, contractors and others who vio late sanitation laws.

Asked about that, Mr. Ruskin said: “We all know that peo ple who do business with the city go to political dinners all the time. If they go voluntarily, it's one thing, but if they are told that there will be bad con sequences if they don't go, it's something else.”

He said that if his investi gation turned up evidence of “a true shakedown, and I'm talking about extortion,” then he would recommend criminal charges.

‘No Double Standard’

Mr. DeLury, hearing the news of his men being called for questioning, arrived in Mr. Ruskin's office to confer with the Commissioner. He told newsmen he wanted to make sure Mr. DuVal was called as well and that “no double stand ard” would be applied.

Mr. Ruskin would not say di rectly whether Mr. DuVal would be called. “All persois involved” will be questioned, he said.

Later in the day, Mayor Lina say's press office issued a statement from the Mayor sai ing, “No pressure tactics by’ any city official for any causc!, political or otherwise, will be tolerated by this administra tion. Appropriate action will be taken against anyone found re sponsible for such pressure.”

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A version of this archives appears in print on November 20, 1971, on Page 29 of the New York edition with the headline: Ruskin Studies Official's Role in Lindsay Benefit Ticket Salt. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe